State announces 450 layoffs, a dozen park closings

Friday

Aug 29, 2008 at 12:01 AMAug 29, 2008 at 1:06 AM

The Blagojevich administration followed through on threats of painful government cutbacks Thursday, with plans to lay off 450 state workers and close two dozen state parks and historic sites to save millions of dollars this fall.

Ryan Keith

The Blagojevich administration followed through on threats of painful government cutbacks Thursday, with plans to lay off 450 state workers and close two dozen state parks and historic sites to save millions of dollars this fall.

The layoffs target four state agencies: about 300 positions at the Department of Children and Family Services, nearly 75 at the Department of Human Services, and a combined total of about 75 at the Department of Natural Resources and the Historic Preservation Agency.

A dozen historic sites will close Oct. 1, including the Dana-Thomas House in Springfield, while 11 state parks will be shuttered as of Nov. 1. Layoffs will be effective Dec. 1.

The moves were detailed first Thursday by the main state employees’ union, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, after its workers received layoff notices. The cuts were confirmed later by the administration of Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

The announcement came as many Illinois Democrats are in Denver celebrating U.S. Sen. Barack Obama’s nomination for president at the party’s national convention.

Blagojevich made $1.4 billion in spending cuts last month to help fill a hole he said topped $2 billion in the fiscal 2009 budget lawmakers sent him.

Blagojevich spokesman Brian Williamsen said Thursday the cuts also were the product of a slowing economy, but didn’t respond to a question about whether this round of cuts was the last.

“These were decisions we did not want to have to make,” Williamsen said. “Ultimately, this requires tough decisions to be made, including cutting programs and services and reducing the state work force.”

The union and lawmakers called the layoffs and closings unnecessarily heavy just a couple of months into the new budget year that began July 1.

“Every time I think he can’t do something worse, he does,” Sen. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield, said of the governor.

AFSCME warned the cuts will put abused children and needy families at risk and further hurt parks and historic sites. It urged lawmakers to return to the Capitol soon to try to reverse them.

IHPA spokesman Dave Blanchette said 38 positions are being eliminated there. Closure decisions were mostly based on attendance averages and estimated attendance for next year’s Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial celebration.

That event’s timing actually helped some Springfield sites. The bicentennial’s oversight commission has redirected $300,000 to ensure locations with Lincoln connections are open as much as possible, Blanchette said.

The closed historic sites will reopen for some special occasions, he said.

A few weeks ago, all historic sites started closing two days a week to save money. Lincoln’s New Salem in Petersburg and Lincoln’s Tomb, the Old State Capitol and the Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices in Springfield are among those that will reopen seven days a week next spring.

“Without that commitment, you would have seen a much greater impact on especially the Springfield sites,” Blanchette said. “That is the silver lining in the cloud.”

At DNR, 39 employees are being laid off, mostly site technicians. Parks being shuttered are in northern and east-central Illinois, and one downstate legislator called that unfair.

“The whole issue is offensive generally, and it’s offensive regionally,” said Rep. Frank Mautino, D-Spring Valley. “It could have been mitigated by spreading the pain.”

DNR spokesman Chris McCloud said the agency tried to close as few parks as possible while looking at both park size and proximity to other parks. There are still hundreds of public parks throughout the state for visitors to enjoy for free, he said.

“Obviously, this is a very tough day for Illinois and for DNR,” McCloud said.

DCFS is targeting 306 positions for layoffs, but expects to actually let go of 179 employees, because some of those whose jobs are being eliminated will be able to transfer into positions in “higher-need areas,” spokesman Kendall Marlowe said.

The cuts will involve offices throughout the state, affect a mix of service and support staff and administrators and save the department nearly $19.5 million, Marlowe said.

DHS spokesman Tom Green said the agency is cutting 73 staff members, 60 of them in a division that includes welfare caseworkers along with clerical staff and social service career trainers. Those positions are scattered across the state.

AFSCME spokesman Anders Lindall said nearly 430 of the 450 jobs affected by the cuts are represented by the union, putting the “vast majority of this pain” on frontline workers.

Rep. David Leitch, R-Peoria, said that is a mistake.

“A lot more administrative jobs should be sacrificed before frontline people are taken away,” Leitch said.

Staff writer Doug Finke contributed to this report. Ryan Keith can be reached at (217) 788-1518.

Here is a closer look at the budget cuts announced Thursday by the Blagojevich administration and where they are targeted, according to details provided by the state agencies affected:

Illinois Historic Preservation Agency

A dozen historic sites are closing as of Oct. 1, and 38 positions are being eliminated.

The closed sites will be open on a limited basis for special events. Among the sites closing are the Dana-Thomas House in Springfield, the David Davis Mansion in Bloomington and the Vandalia Statehouse.

Some Lincoln-related sites will benefit from a $300,000 grant from the Illinois Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. Lincoln’s New Salem in Petersburg and several Lincoln sites in Springfield will once again be open seven days a week next spring.

Department of Natural Resources

Eleven parks are closing Nov. 1, with 39 employees laid off.

Closed parks include Castle Rock and Lowden in Oregon, Kickapoo in Oakwood and Weldon Springs in Clinton.

Department of Children and Family Services

More than 300 positions are being targeted, although the agency expects an actual loss of 179 positions once some employees transfer jobs.

The cuts will affect workers throughout the state and cover service and support staff and administrators. The agency will save nearly $19.5 million.

Department of Human Services

Layoffs of 73 staff, including 60 who work in the human capital development division. Those jobs are scattered throughout Illinois. The cuts will save the department more than $2 million.

State historic sites slated for closing in addition to Dana-Thomas House in Springfield (2007 visitation in parentheses)

- Black Hawk, Rock Island: Hauberg Indian Museum will close Oct. 1; natural areas and lodge will remain open five days per week. (138,668)

- Lincoln Log Cabin, near Charleston: Will close Oct. 1 except for special events. (82,735)

- David Davis Mansion, Bloomington: Will close Oct. 1 except for special events. (49,468)

- Fort de Chartres, Prairie du Rocher: Will close Oct. 1 except for special events. (38,100)

- Vandalia Statehouse, Vandalia: Will close Oct. 1 except for special events (31,690)

- Bishop Hill Museum, Colony Church and Bjorklund Hotel: Will close Oct. 1 except for special events. (19,551)

- Carl Sandburg, Galesburg: Will close Oct. 1 except for special events. (8,598)

- Cahokia Courthouse, Cahokia: Will close Oct. 1 except for special events. (8,414)

- Bryant Cottage, Bement: Will close Oct. 1 except for special events. (5,176)

- Jubilee College, near Brimfield: Will close Oct. 1. (72,780)

- Apple River Fort, Elizabeth: Will close Oct. 1. (24,693)

- Fort Kaskaskia and Pierre Menard Home, Ellis Grove: Will close Oct. 1, including the campground at Fort Kaskaskia (23,086)

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